もう一人の花嫁
by KeiNishikawa83
Summary: Hal has found a girl worth settling down with. He and Kai are the best of friends, but Kai still holds feelings for his partner from their earlier years together, not as just friends, or partners, but as lovers... Better summary inside, M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Kai Eto and Hal Kurabayashi are in their late twenties, and Hal has finally found a girl worth settling down with. He and Kai are the best of friends, but Kai still holds feelings for his partner from their earlier years together, not as just friends, or partners, but as lovers. When the wedding day comes around, Kai has to decide, either he lets his one chance at a happy life slip away by letting Hal marry this woman, or he ruins her life and tries to steal Hal back. As he sits in the church during the ceremony, he has every intention of going with his first option, and not risking both Hal's and the woman's happiness… but as they are about to say their vows, something in him snaps and he takes the greatest risk of his life… trying to get Hal back. With everyone's happiness riding on Hal's decision, this could be the end of everything for someone…

Here's my first contribution to the(far too small) fandom of Hal and Kai from [switch]! Multi-chapters! Alright, all of you, go enjoy this... though I feel it might make some cry later...

~K-chan

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><p>"So, is she really the one?" Kai asked as he looked at the taller man sitting across from him, his hands wrapped around the coffee mug. Kai Eto was a kind man, energetic, fun-loving, funny, he seemed the type that could walk into a room and brighten it instantly… but inside, he felt exactly opposite of his bright exterior, broken, shattered, betrayed, forgotten. The man sitting across from him used to be the one who'd hold him every night, the one who'd make him feel like his existence meant something… but now, this man had found someone else... a woman, someone who could bear children, someone who could offer him things that Kai couldn't. The other man nodded, looking out to the street and replied, "Yeah… yeah, I think she is." A small smile crept to his lips, a smile that, until a year ago, had been only for Kai, a smile only Kai had ever seen, a smile that betrayed this man's very nature, but summed it up in one moment, with a softness that melted away the icy glare in his eyes, and a kindness that was allowed to show through.<p>

_"Don't smile that way… I don't want you to smile like that for anyone but me… that's MY smile… you told me it was… just for me… Why'd you lie?"_

"It's nice to see you smile, Hal… Are you going to propose to her?" His voice was shaking, not noticeably though, only he noticed it, but Kai tried to keep himself composed as the idea of Hal _marrying_ this… woman… formed in his mind. It made him sick, the image of that woman in a pure white dress, Hal in a tux, awaiting her arrival at the altar, smiling _his_ smile, _Kai's_ smile. It made him want to throw up. She didn't deserve him; she didn't deserve to wear such a clean, pure color as the white dress she'd wear on the wedding day. She was a temptress, a witch; she'd stolen Hal from Kai, ugly browns and grays were the only colors she was suited to wear, or a deep red, the same color as the blood that now dripped from Kai's aching chest ever since she stole his reason for living. Hal nodded, "Want to see the ring?"

_"Please… open up your eyes, Hal… I'm right here… Notice me… Please… I'm the one who truly loves you, I loved you first, I'll love you last… Just, please… open your eyes again…"_

"I'd love to." He lied. Kai hated this, playing this part. The lover-turned-best-friend part wasn't his to play. It tore him apart, made him suffer so much, and Hal never noticed. Not once did he think that maybe, just maybe, Kai didn't want to do this, he didn't want to see the ring, didn't want to help with the planning, didn't want to be there for the terrible event that was to happen. He hated acting, but he knew he had to, at least for now, so he could stay close to Hal, the only one who made him happy. But lately, being close to this man made Kai ache even more, it made him hurt, seeing Hal and that woman together. The ring was gold, three beautiful diamonds were carefully placed in their proper spots, a larger one in the center that shone gorgeously and seemed to cast hundreds of rainbows scattering everywhere and a smaller one on either side. The band held engravings of a vine that wound completely around the metallic circle, it thinned in the back, but the design was just daintier there, still just as beautifully crafted. Kai sighed and handed the ring back to his friend.

"It's beautiful," he said simply, which wasn't a lie. The ring was incredible; it just shouldn't ever belong on that woman's finger. It seemed like such a waste of amazing craftsmanship on such a terrible witch. Hal closed the case and smiled, "It's just as beautiful as she is…" Kai shuddered and stared down at his coffee.

_"She's not beautiful… if you could only see… what a horrible person she is… Just open your God-damned eyes and look at __me__… you'll see what she's done…"_ He was getting frustrated; his mind was yelling at him to lash out and take Hal back right now, but his heart wouldn't let him. If Hal was happy, then he'd suffer through it, he'd do anything for Hal, as long as it made him happy, Kai had no doubts about it. But this… this was asking too much, and it was beginning to take its toll. A quiet buzzing came from the other's pocket and Hal dug his phone out and flipped it open.

"Hello?... Oh, hey babe, how are you?... Hm? Alright, I'll be right there. Love you." The phone snapped shut and Hal looked at Kai, "Well, I guess I gotta go now… I'll talk to you later, okay?" Kai nodded and with a wave, the taller got up and left the small shop after quickly paying for his order. Now he was alone… again. He stared at his coffee and sighed, closing his eyes and he rested his forehead in his palm. He wanted to cry again, just wanted to break down and yell and scream at the man with the glasses, just to make him realize what was going on. With empty eyes, Kai stood from the chair and paid for his order and left.

His walk home was silent, only filled with the useless sounds of those around him. It was a fairly dismal day, gray, cloudy skies, that looked like they could let rain go any minute, even though it was in the mid sixties, there was a slightly frigid feel to the damp air. For some reason, Kai felt as though the coldness was amplified and it seeped into his body, making him feel even more miserable. He solemnly made his way home, but before he was able to even get to his street, a familiar voice called out to him. A female's voice… it wasn't Mari's, oh no, it was the one person who he had ever completely hated. At first, he wanted to just keep walking, just ignore her and keep on heading home, but he felt her arms around his right arm, pulling him back.

"Hey, Kai! How are you?" the woman said as she let go of his arm and spun on her heels to wrap her arms around the man she was with. Kai turned and put on a mask, a mask to hide the pain he was feeling right now.

"Hi guys. You found me again pretty quickly, Hal."

"She saw you and started to run after you, so I followed her," Hal said with a chuckle.

"Kai, Kai, look!" The woman held her hand up to him, showing off the gorgeous ring that he had seen only an hour before and was now around her ring-finger. Seeing that was like a knife to the heart to Kai, who hid this latest wound completely.

"Wow, congratulations!" he said with a false happiness. It wasn't long before this act began to wear him down and his mental fatigue was becoming physically noticeable. He looked unbelievably tired, and he felt it too, his body ached and he just wanted to go home and curl up in a ball to sleep.

"Kai, are you okay? You look really, really tired," the woman said as she examined his face closer. Kai nodded and replied, "Yeah, I didn't sleep very well last night, and I'm very tired, so, I think I'll be on my way home now. Sorry." He looked at Hal, "See you later," who nodded and said "Alright, I'll talk to you later, go home and get some rest." With that, the three parted ways, Kai returning on his journey home, and the other two walking off together. It didn't take him much longer to reach the apartment he lived in, and by the time he'd gotten in the door, he felt so cold and empty that he wished he had a fireplace to warm up by. As Kai placed his keys on their usual spot on his counter, he had to grasp the edge of the granite to keep himself standing. He was shaking, or shivering, which it was he couldn't tell, but it was very violent. He tried to make his way over to the pale green couch but just as he was about to steady himself on the arm of the sofa, his muscles gave out and he collapsed in a heap on the floor, laying between the glass coffee table and the celery-colored couch, tears formed in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, crossing over the bridge of his nose to continue their way to the floor, then his vision went black… _"Well… I wouldn't mind dying now… There's nothing left for me without him…" _was the last thing he thought before his mind went numb and his world went black…

When Hal tried to call Kai later that evening, there was no answer.

_"If he was asleep, he'd wake up and answer… I know he had no plans this evening… I'll try his cell."_ Thought Hal as he hung up and dialed the other's cell phone number. When there was no answer for either phone, he began to worry.

"Hey, babe," Hal said to his fiancé, "I'll be back in a bit. I'm going to go check on Kai. He's not answering either his home or cell phone." She looked back from the couch and nodded, "Alright. I'll see you later, darling." He gave her a quick kiss and then headed off. When he arrived at the apartment, a sickening feeling grew in his stomach, and as he opened the door to Kai's apartment, he realized why. There, between the couch and the small coffee table, lay Kai, motionless. Hal ran toward his unmoving friend and grabbed his shoulders, lifting his torso off the ground and shaking him slightly.

"Kai… Wake up…" No movement.

"Kai… Hey, Kai!" Still nothing.

"Kai! Damn it, Kai! Wake up!" Hal began to panic, his pulse and breathing quickened and he shook his friend's limp body again, more violently this time.

"Kai!" Still, there was no sign of a reply.

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><p>Well, what do you think? Please review and tell me if you want moar!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

So, here's chapter 2! I hope you liked chapter 1 and I'm hoping you'll like this one too. It's not as long, but it's what I got. Enjoy!

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><p>Everything was silent… and dark. Kai didn't know where he was, but he seemed to be just floating in an endlessly black abyss. He wasn't cold or warm, he was comfortable… and he didn't hurt anymore.<p>

_"Am I dead?" _ He thought, his voice echoed in the endless darkness, though off of what, he didn't know, or really care.

_"If I'm dead… what did I die from? Exhaustion? 'A broken heart'?" _Again, his voice reverberated back to him, but his last words were becoming drawn out beeps, each getting louder and more defined. The space around him lightened and he was no longer just floating in the black void, there were definite shapes, and lights. He felt as though he was back in his body, like he was heavy again, and weighed down by he tried to move his hand, he couldn't. It felt so heavy, like it was made of lead, and he didn't have the strength to move it. His chest also seemed to feel very heavy, like a huge weight had been placed there, crushing his lungs, so he took shallow, quick breaths. Kai tried to open his eyes; it took a few tries to finally open them to reveal the bright lights and white tiles of a hospital room. When he looked down to see if there was something on his chest causing his breathing to become difficult or if it was that his lungs had just collapsed, he was surprised to see the man he loved so much leaning on him, his head resting on Kai's chest and his body over the hand Kai had tried to move.

"H-Hal…" he managed to choke out, "Hal… can't – breathe…" He tried to wiggle to make the other man wake up, and successfully did so. As Hal sat up, his glasses slid down his nose and he momentarily took them off to rub his eyes. When they were placed back in their rightful place upon the man's face, the eyes behind the lenses widened and the man let out a sigh of relief, only to say quite loudly, "Kai, you okay? Do you remember what happened?" Kai felt a constant pressure surrounding his left hand and when he glanced down to see what it was, it was nothing other than his partner's hand wrapped around his.

"Hal… I'm glad that y—" Just as the words were about to leave his mouth, that woman walked in with two coffees. Just like that, Kai had gone from being okay, being happy that Hal was here… with him… to hating having both of them here.

_"Why'd she have to come and ruin everything? Damn it all!"_ Kai thought to himself as the woman handed Hal a coffee. She smiled at Kai and then began to recount the earlier events.

"When you didn't answer your phone or cell, Hal got so worried and went to check on you. When he got to your apartment though, you were lying on the floor and you weren't responding." Kai averted his gaze so he didn't have to look at that woman, and ended up staring out the window.

"Well… I'm fine now," He said coldly. The frost meant only for the witch that stood before him, not for the warm man at his side. A short nurse walked in and asked Hal and that woman if they could leave for a moment, then, when they had exited, she checked Kai's vitals, IVs and she scribbled down the numbers on the small screens. Kai let his head fall back as the nurse was examining him and he sighed, his eyes cast downwards with a blank stare.

"Are you okay?" the nurse asked as she took his pulse. He nodded; a saddened "Yeah" was his reply.

"Is that man your boyfriend?" Kai shook his head and whispered, "Used to be… Now he's with her…"

"Ah, I see. I'm sorry. I just assumed he was because he hasn't left your side since he brought you here," the nurse said just as softly. Kai's eyes held a far off look and they began to tear, "No, that time has long passed…" he said sadly. The nurse's brows knit together in a troubled look and she sat down on the bed with Kai.

"You still love him, don't you, hun?" she whispered, her voice soft and caring, just barely audible. He nodded and tears streamed across his face, soaking into the pillow beneath his head. The short woman took his hand and began to comfort him.

"Aw, sweetie, everything will be okay. It'll all work out in the end. You'll either find someone new, the right one, or you'll see him come back to you. Aw, there, there." She said softly as she patted his hair in a motherly way. Kai was holding back the tears now, trying to be strong and not show how upset he really was, but no matter how hard he tried, he ended up breaking down, tears streaming from his slightly swollen eyes. The stout woman squeezed his hand slightly, "Oh, come now, don't cry so much. Everything will be alright. You listen to me, okay? Everything is gonna be alright." Kai looked at her through teary eyes and nodded his head a little.

"Now, stop your cryin', sweetie. I promise that everything will get better." Kai nodded again and wiped the tears away with the back of his arm. The nurse continued, "I gotta get back to my rounds, but I'll be back in an hour or so. C'mon, stop those tears. You're too cute to be crying." She finished with a smile and Kai smiled also. He felt a bit lighter now. Why? He had no idea, but he did. Maybe it was this nurse, the short woman who acted so like a mother, comforting him and listening to him. He hoped that he'd be able to talk to her more. Kai watched her as she left the room and he waved. When she returned later that evening, Hal and _that woman_ had already left for dinner, but Hal said he'd be back. The nurse, whose name happened to be Azumi, sat with Kai for as long as he wanted. She listened to him and made him feel so much better about this whole situation, letting him know that it was okay to be upset by it and that it was a natural feeling, but that he was also very strong for staying so close to Hal. Unfortunately, soon Kai began to feel tired, he asked Azumi to hum something for him (he was used to falling asleep to music when he had bad nights) and he eventually drifted to sleep while she softly hummed. She gently pulled up his sheets to his neck and smiled down at him, like a mother would when she looked at her sleeping child, and as she quietly opened the door, she was surprised to see the bespectacled man standing there, patiently waiting.

"Can I go in?" he whispered. She nodded and said in a hushed reply, "Yes, but don't wake him. Be very quiet. Good night, Mr. Kurabayashi." She began to walk away, but stopped and turned back to him, "Oh, and when Kai wakes up, tell him I'll see him soon. I've got a half day tomorrow, so I'll only see him in the afternoon."

"Will do," Hal whispered back and he entered the room silently, softly shutting the door behind him. There was something… sorrowful about seeing Kai's sleeping figure bathed in patchy moonlight and Hal felt a sharp pain in his heart when he saw there were still tear-stains on the sleeping man's cheeks. Closing his eyes momentarily, Hal took a deep breathe and tried to calm the pain in his heart. After a minute of standing there, breathing deeply, he slowly made his way over to the seat next to the bed. Leaning forward to rest his chin on the bed, he gently reached out and took one of Kai's limp hands, only barely holding it, just the mere contact of their skin was enough for him and he too, slowly drifted off to sleep, his fingers intertwined with Kai's. The patchy light from the moon rested on them, and neither moved, both asleep, not moving even the slightest bit.

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><p>Hope to hear from all who've read this, please please please review, I need to know people are reading this!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

When morning came again, and the first few rays of sunlight danced on Kai's eyelids, he didn't want to wake up. He didn't want to leave the dream he was having. It was a good one, one that didn't remind him of the hell he currently resided in. But the sun wasn't stopping from shining directly into his room and forcing him to wake up. He reluctantly opened his eyes, blinking a few times and letting his pupils adjust to the bright light. Kai yawned and looked sleepily over at the man who was holding on to his hand. A small smiled crossed his lips and he gently brushed his fingers along Hal's cheek, "Hal, wake up," he said softly. The sleeping man gave a sigh and shook his head, muttering, "I don't want to."

"C'mon. It's time to wake up," Kai said again and he rolled on to his side so he was facing Hal, who groaned and lifted his head to look at Kai.  
>"Good morning," said Kai and he leaned in and placed a kiss on the other's lips, but he pulled away quickly as soon as there was contact. Gasping, he ripped his hand out of Hal's and turned away as he sat up, covering his mouth.<p>

"I'm sorry… I-I shouldn't have done that… I just…. Waking up and seeing you just… reminded me of… before…" The realization of what he'd just done sunk in quickly, and he felt all the pain and sorrow well back up in him.

"_Damn it… What the hell is wrong with me? I just… k-kissed him…"_ Kai thought. He was blushing furiously with embarrassment and didn't want to see Hal's face right now. The image in his mind of his partner was bad enough… a look of… disgust in his eyes… it was like daggers piercing his heart.

"Kai? Hey, it's alright. I shouldn't have been holding on to you how I was." Hal said in soft voice. Kai was terrified to look at him, but turned to face him, not making eye contact. Hal was looking at the floor on his right; a slight pink shade graced his cheeks beneath his thin glasses. There was silence, except for the quiet, constant beeping of the heart monitor.

"Do you want anything from the cafeteria?" Hal asked awkwardly as he got up. Kai shook his head and replied quietly, "No, I'm all set. Thanks, though…" As the man with the glasses made his way to the door, he stopped and turned, "Oh, by the way, the nurse who you were talking to yesterday,"

"Azumi?" Kai said hopefully.

"Yeah. She's working a half day today, so she said she'd see you this afternoon." Kai nodded.

_"Good… I like talking to her..."_ He thought as Hal closed the door behind him. Then, it seemed as if the whole world had just gone silent, and the mistake he had made moments before was being screamed at him. He went red again and his palms met his face. A long groan slipped past his lips, "God damn it… I'm so stupid… He hates me… I know he does… Shit…" Kai felt as though he could die of embarrassment. He could feel tears of embarrassment welling in his eyes, but he did nothing to stop them from rolling down his cheeks. When Hal finally got back to the room, Kai had dried his tears, but the evidence of them was still obvious. The look on his face, though, told Hal not to say anything, not unless he wanted to upset him further. He sat down next to the bed and watched Kai.

"Are you all right?" Hal said; his voice was soft, completely different from how he usually talked. Kai said nothing, only nodded slightly, and kept his gaze on the window. He couldn't bear to look at the man beside him. He felt like he was goin to be sick. Hal gently placed a hand on Kai's arm and lightly squeezed it.

"Kai, I'm sorry. I really am. It was my fault…"

"Hal, shut up…" he muttered.  
>"What?"<br>"Shut up, stop apologizing!" He yelled, finally turning to Hal, looking very angry, "Just go. Please, just leave. I'll be at the wedding, I already told you I would be there. I'll smile and be happy and say the right things, but, please, just for now… let me bleed. Let me try to get over it." He was on the verge of tears again. He felt terrible, like he'd just been attacked and beaten within an inch of his life. Hal's face showed his complete shock, he wasn't used to this Kai.

"Kai…" He said breathlessly.

"Please, just go." Kai said, obviously trying to be strong and hold back his tears. Hall looked away, pulling his hand back and he stood up. Not looking at Kai, he paused, "All right…" He said in a small voice, one even Kai had never heard before, "I'll go. See you later, then… I guess," and with that, he walked from the room, his head hung and his eyes unfocused.

He didn't hear from Kai for three weeks after that. The planning for the wedding was talking up much more time than Hal had though it would. Kai had been released from the hospital after a week and was now home. He still kept in touch with Azumi, letting her know how he was doing. Of course he was telling her he was fine, but she went to check on him twice a week, just to make sure. The only information Hal got about his partner was from her, even though only in bits and pieces. He wasn't doing well, at least from what he was hearing. The urge to go see his partner was overwhelming, but he knew if he went, it'd only cause the younger more pain than he already was feeling and he couldn't do that to him.

The wedding was quickly approaching and the stress of waiting for that awful day was really showing in Kai's face. He looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks; his face was thin, his skin paler than usual, and his eyes had large dark circles beneath them (the effects of only 5 hours of sleep per week). He dreaded the day of the wedding and had seriously considered the easy way out; taking his own life would be easier than this. He reminded himself though, of the promise he'd made to Hal. He'd wished hundreds of times that he could just forget, but no matter how much he tried to forget, he only remembered more and more. He remembered everything and it was so clear as if it'd happened only yesterday. His mind was torturing him in to madness. Everything about his time _with_ Hal was painfully vivid, and it was slowly driving him insane. He could feel it, his mind unhinging. There was nothing he could do about it. So many times over those weeks, he had seen his gun, held it, put it against his head… but he never had the resolve to pull the trigger. His last thought before he almost pulled it, was always of Hal… but not just a memory of Hal… A thought of how Hal would deal with finding out Kai had killed himself. Every time, it was enough to stop him from actually doing it, even though it was just barely.

About a week before the wedding, Hal broke down; he needed to see Kai, desperately needed to see him.

"Hun, I'm going out. I need to see him," he said one evening during dinner with his fiancé. She looked surprised, actually, she looked irritated.

"Why do you _need_ to see him?" She asked, her voice showing she definitely was offended. He got up and brought his empty plate to the sink.

"I just do, okay? He _is_ still my partner and I need to make sure he's okay. I haven't heard from him in a week and a half." Hal retorted; sounding rather hacked off by her lack of understanding. He gathered his jacket and put it on, then grabbed his keys from the small table in the entrance way. As he opened the door, he said quickly, "I'll be back later. Love you," and left. She sat there; her arms crossed and looked rather annoyed.


End file.
